ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, hearing an appeal of a PML-N member of the Punjab Assembly, observed here on Tuesday that courts were exposing holders of fake degrees only to restore dignity and prestige of parliament.

A three-judge bench comprising the chief justice, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday is hearing the appeal of Rawalpindi MPA Malik Yasir Raza against an order of the Lahore High Court which disqualified him for possessing fake educational certificates.

The court ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to produce the academic record of the appellant by July 16 and issued notices to respondents.

The petitioner was represented by Advocate Wasim Sajjad who requested the court to set aside the high court order.

“The parliament is ours and we have to guide the nation towards morality,” the chief justice observed.

Justice Ramday said he felt ashamed reading headlines about fake degrees during his recent stay in Singapore.

Those aspiring to contest elections always state on oath before returning officers that they were not concealing any fact, the bench said.

Mr Yasir Raza was declared successful from PP-13, Rawalpindi, but was deseated by Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed of the Rawalpindi bench of the LHC on June 30, on a petition filed by rival PPP candidate Ishtiaq Mirza.

Mr Mirza had challenged the validity of Mr Raza’s Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) obtained from the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in 1995 as well as his matric certificate and graduation degree.

Courtesy by dawn.com